^ actually these have a totally different look than any Alden's Ive seen, so not really in the same category imho.

$700+ might be pushing it, I know I didnt want to pay the $715 +tax retail they were when I saw them, but when I fijured I could get them BNIB @$600 otd I didnt think twice about it, anything below that for a BNIB pair is a steal for these boots imo.

Two words: Quality and Style. Dayton Boot Co. makes a hell of a long lasting boot. These things are shit kickers in the best possible way! If you're in to that rugged worn look but still want the quality, these are boots to consider.

We blew out of the black boots at Stel's. We''ll have a size run of the brown pair for Spring!

Not really a ton of options for similar boots. Even shape wise i don't see much similar out there. The people who claim there are a ton of boots that are the same thing without distressing makes me really question people's attention to detail.

I agree that there's not too many options with the appeal of the dayton boot. The only similar shoe I can really see come close is this pair from Moto in Japan. Tough to come by as the boot maker requires an in-store visit.

Its kind of a joke when you find out the manufacturer was selling them directly, undistressed, for like 250 or so. I believe they were extras or something but it goes to show the comical markup and hype people tell themselves and others to justify what is admittedly a badass pair of boots. 700 though...

They also made the boots specially for w&h and then w&h does their own process to it, then you have standard retail markup. I don't think you understand how clothing retail works. Everyone dips their hands in and take a little bit out. I doubt w&h is making a ton of profit from those boots. Probably cost the retailers like farinellis/stel's at least $400 to bring into the store. I guarantee you it doesn't cost $450 for Alden to make their boots. Probably under $200. Does that mean Alden's are overpriced? Of course not. That's just how this stuff works. Companies gotta pay for materials, labor, marketing, advertising, executives, creative people, accountants, etc... then the distributors and middle men have to to make some money, then the stores themselves need to pay for employees, some built in money considering how much they lose in sales/theft, rent/bills, advertising and more. The fact that this is a collab means now dayton is involved in getting their own cut from these boots. Collabs almost always cost more if you've noticed. I don't understand this thing where people expect to get goods at cost as if they're making it themselves. That's not how this shit works. Hell, jcrew shirts at $40 on sale probably cost $5 to make or something. Is jcrew on sale ripping people off or overpriced? A lot of clothing purchases is just if the payoff of intangible benefits outweigh the cost to the buyer. Fashion/clothing/style isn't just about finding the highest priced leather or cloth for the price. If you want to look like KitonBrioni by all means go for it

Stel's will actually have them for a little under $700.00. I'm waiting to see how the brown run looks this season before I make a final decision about the retail. My guess is that they will be at $670-$680.

My man all you have to say is, of course they're overpriced, rather than act all butt-hurt. I don't agree with W+H pushing so much of the cost of boots they don't even make onto customers and then a lil more for tying them into a ball and dropping them into water. This is why ill buy a different pair of boots despite loving the shape and shaft height. That and F+B makes a better and more affordable pair anyway.

Its kind of a joke when you find out the manufacturer was selling them directly, undistressed, for like 250 or so. I believe they were extras or something but it goes to show the comical markup and hype people tell themselves and others to justify what is admittedly a badass pair of boots. 700 though...

You can get a service boot like pair from Dayton but it is way more than 250, most of their boots sell between $375-$500 CAD, and with the .95 CAD exchange rate thats about how much it is for Americans anyway. I am pretty they also sourced in specific materials for the collab. boots as the black nubuck and probably the various shades of brown are also not readily available from Dayton for their regular models. Going from $400-$700 really isn't that comical of a makeup for a limited edition item that is made with exclusive materials. If it was THAT comical then they wouldn't be selling out as quickly as they are.

My man all you have to say is, of course they're overpriced, rather than act all butt-hurt. I don't agree with W+H pushing so much of the cost of boots they don't even make onto customers and then a lil more for tying them into a ball and dropping them into water. This is why ill buy a different pair of boots despite loving the shape and shaft height. That and F+B makes a better and more affordable pair anyway.

HUH? What boot are you speaking of? If you mean "better" in terms of quality, F+B can't hold a candle to Dayton. Fiorentini is decent, but their boots aren't particularly rugged or well constructed. They deliver ok in the fashion market, but even Butteros are of higher quality construction.

Okay, thanks for your opinion. Since I didn't say they're better 'constructed' (a term that is thrown around here all too often in non-quantifiable and often irrelevant ways) I appreciate your contribution to this discussion.

In case you're not aware the W+H boot is certainly as much a 'fashion' boot than anything F+B makes, maybe even more so. Oh but wait, I forget all the dudes buying their new 'rugged' and 'outdoor' W+H boots to go work construction and maybe lay some concrete or chop a few trees down - yeah fucking right. Shit the other day my buddy just walked right out of this F+B boots since the sole unstitched itself and the leather disintegrated. What shoddy 'construction'!

And the boot I speak of specifically is the 745 from F+B - it comes in four or so finishes with great leather and I believe is assembled in Italy. Pretty great considering you can get it for around $400 or on sale for around $300 if you hunt. I consider that a much better boot (in case you didn't realize, this is opinion, so relax).

Its kind of a joke when you find out the manufacturer was selling them directly, undistressed, for like 250 or so. I believe they were extras or something but it goes to show the comical markup and hype people tell themselves and others to justify what is admittedly a badass pair of boots. 700 though...

I tried that route first myself, I talked to dayton co. a shitload of times and the same pair of boots, sans distressing/soaking, will run you $400 +ship & tax, they have some cheaper boots that are kinda similar but not the same (vivram soles, buckle strap across laces, suede, etc). I also own f+b boots and no way I would put them in the same league as the w+hxd imho.